


A Crown of Blood

by Joan_of_Arc



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Red Wedding, Gen, The North remembers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-03-02
Packaged: 2018-03-10 08:24:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 16,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3283565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joan_of_Arc/pseuds/Joan_of_Arc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before going to the Twins for Edmure’s wedding, Robb leaves his wife Jeyne at Riverrun and sends his mother to Seagard, thus sparing them from the massacre at the Red Wedding. The Northern army regroups under the leadership of the Blackfish and are back with a vengeance.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't keep all your treasures in one place

It was not an easy trip from Riverrun to The Twins; never-ending rain, muddy terrain, collapsed bridges and washed away roads barely passing as paths; all for a wedding nobody wanted to go to in the first place. After the fiasco at the Mill, Edmure had reluctantly agreed to marry a Frey girl to atone for his blunder. The betrothal had originally been arranged for Robb, but he had broken his vows to Walder Frey and married Jeyne Westerling instead.

 

“Cat, this is not fair” Edmure told his sister. “It was your son who was supposed to marry into the Freys. How come he gets to chose a beautiful bride and I’m stuck with a Frey? You know, she’s probably got hair coming out of her ears, bulging eyes, rotten teeth and warts all over her body. She probably has bad breath, too.”

“Edmure, don’t be silly” her sister scolded him playfully. “You were bound to get married sooner or later.”

“Well, given the option I would say later” he muttered.

“Well, you know, you did mess up with the Mill. You were told to hold your forces, not conquer the Mill” she said softly.

“Yes, and your son was told to hold his breeches and marry a Frey girl. He messed up and now I have to pay.”

“Edmure! I – please, what’s done is done. I’m not going to defend him, I was pretty angry myself about that, but we should move forwards. We need the Freys, and the only way to get them is by you marrying Roslin. I also married Ned for an army and we ended up building a beautiful life together. Lothar said she was very cheerful and fair to look at.”

“Of course! They are kin and they want me to marry her, what else would they say?”

 

“What else would who say?” a voice interrupted them.

“Your Grace” Edmure greeted Robb as he walked up to them.

“Robb” added Catelyn. “Lord Umber, Lord Mallister, Lord Glover” Catelyn greeted the rest of the men as they approached. “I thought you were having a meeting”

“Yes, we were, and we have a new plan. After the wedding we are going for Moat Cailin and we’ll take it from the Ironborn.”

“Nobody has ever taken the Moat” said Edmure

“From the south” replied Robb. “But if we can also attack them from the North and West at the same time, we may have a shot. With Lord Bolton’s men and the Freys I will have more than fifteen thousand men. I mean to divide them and have three different forces going into the Moat. Roose Bolton’s men and I will cross through the Neck. Bolton will attack from the West, I will command the host attacking from the North, and the Greatjon shall lead the main force against Moat Cailin coming from the South”

“It’s a risk” ventured Edmure.

“Aye, don’t you worry about it pretty lover boy. We’ll be wielding our swords while you wield your little dagger!” the Greatjon teased him.

“I can wield my dagger as well as my sword” replied Edmure. “Which party will I join?” he asked Robb.

“None, you’re staying at the Twins with your bride”. He turned to Catelyn. “Mother” he called her.

“What’s my role in this?” she asked apprehensively.

“Your role is to stay safe. Our journey through the Neck will be dangerous, and nothing but battle awaits us in the North. But Lord Mallister has kindly offered to keep you safe at Seagard until the war is done. You will be comfortable there, I know”.

“Is this my punishment?” she asked thinking about all the different issues they had argued about: legitimizing Jon Snow, freeing the Kingslayer with Brienne, the safety of Arya and Sansa, his own safety.

“Seagard will be brightened by your presence, Lady Catelyn” said Lord Jason Mallister.

“You would make me a prisoner” she continued looking at her son.

“An honored guest” Lord Mallister insisted.

“I mean no offence to Lord Mallister, but if I can’t continue with you I’d rather go back to Riverrun” she replied her eyes still fixed on her son.

“I left my wife at Riverrun. I want my mother elsewhere. If you keep all your treasures in one place you only make it easier for those who would rob you.”

“As you please, Your Grace” she finally answered with a stern face.

“Mother, I just want to keep you safe” he insisted.

“Of course, Your Grace” she replied and turned around.

“Mother wait” he cried.

“Robb, you’ve made it perfectly clear. There’s nothing more to add. We’ll go to Edmure’s wedding and then I’ll leave for Seagard. I’ll be safe, just as you want.”

“Actually, Mother,” he continued “I want for you to leave now. I don’t want you going to the Twins. I’m following your advice Mother, I don’t trust the Freys.”

“Am I not allowed to go to my brother’s wedding?”

“You’re not allowed to endanger yourself unnecessarily” he retorted.

“As you please, Your Grace. With your permission, I’ll take my leave to get ready for my trip” she said in a broken voice. She turned swiftly and walked away, but not fast enough for Robb not to notice her tears.

“Mother wait” he called. He took her by the arm when he caught up with her. “I’m not doing this to punish you. Please believe me.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful. Please Robb. Just promise me you’ll take care of yourself. I have already lost your father. I have lost Bran and Rickon. I fear I may have lost Arya and I don’t think I’ll ever see Sansa again. I can’t lose you Robb, I just can’t” she cried as she hugged him tightly.

“I promise Mother. I’ll be safe” Robb said returning the embrace.

 

 

TBC


	2. Hey Ho, King in the North

The drink was good, the food was tasty, the music was fine. The wedding was proving to be a fun affair after all. But a bladder can only hold so much.

“I’m going to take a leak” Brynden Tully told his companions.

“Hurry back or you’ll miss the bedding” said SmallJon Umber “and that little Frey girl looks like something under all that heavy garment” he added to the amusement of his friends.

“Hurry back Brynden. It’s bad enough some of our men were not allowed into the Great Hall, I wouldn’t want for you to be out for too long, as well” said Robb

“Robb, loosen up. I’ll just go water the trees in the garden. I’ll be right back. Take a break, we’re at a party. Enjoy yourself. Go drink, dance, kiss a girl.”

“Aye. Just hurry back” he replied.

 

The Blackfish left the Great Hall and wandered into the gardens. He could hear the music, the laughter, the loud cheers. The bedding ceremony had most likely already begun. He didn’t mind missing it as he had always considered it a barbaric affair. He pulled up his breaches when he was done and headed for the building again.

 

 _And who are you, the proud Lord said_ …. That song? Why would they be playing The Rains of Castamere at a wedding? These musicians had less sense than a goat. That’s not a party song. Yet, if he were to go by the yells coming through the windows, people seemed to be enjoying themselves. On second thought, that didn’t sound like celebration, more like angry yells and battle calls. _What’s going on?,_ he thought to himself. He tried to make his way back to the entrance but the door was barred from the inside. He headed out into the battlements and he could see all the chaos below him. The tents were on fire, all their soldiers stumbling and falling. Some were wounded, others just dazed, some had been set alight, some had swords or lances protruding from their bodies. Brynden Tully felt helpless. He also felt something he had not felt in a while. Dread. His family was there, his nephew Edmure, his niece’s son Robb, and most of his companions. Yet he was unarmed and locked out. There was nothing he could do for them. He had to try something else. He headed for the stables and found them empty. He got on a horse and rode away into the forest.

 

Brynden Tully slowly awoke to the first rays of the rising sun. What greeted him was an awful sight he would never forget; bodies strewn across the field, some burned, some pierced by lances and swords, some cut into pieces. And the stench; blood and waste mixed with death. He tried to get back inside but found his way blocked by a marching army of Freys. It was not the men that made him stop, but what they were carrying: the bloodied body of his niece’s son, his King, with the head of his direwolf sewn to the body.

 

_Hey ho, King in the North,_

_Hey ho, he went to war_

_Hey ho, King in the North,_

_Hey ho, he howls no more._

 

The men kept jeering and chanting, and he couldn’t get the chant out of his head. _Hey Ho_. The Blackfish felt utterly helpless. _Hey Ho_. All was lost. _Hey Ho._ The King was dead. What could he do now? Where could he go? _Hey Ho._ Riverrun. He had to defend his house, he had to warn them. _Hey Ho._ Riverrun was too far. He’d never make it alive. Seagard. He should go to Seagard. That’s where Cat was. _Hey Ho._ Cat, she’ll be devastated. How would he tell her about this? _Hey Ho, we are no more_ , he thought.  

 

He quickly got on the horse and rode away. He kept off the roads maintaining a general southerly direction. He kept a steady pace, he had to get to Seagard and soon. He forwent breakfast, lunch, supper, and sleep. He only stopped enough for the horse to feed and rest. He left the hellish jeers of the Freys behind, but not the memories of what had transpired there.

 

Before he realized it, he had made it to Seagard. He rode straight up to the front gate. “I need to speak to Lord Jason Mallister. Tell him Lord Bryden Tully is here to see him.” He sat down in the shade and waited, his mind plagued with images he’d rather not see again. It was not long until Lord Malliser came to see him in person.

 

“Lord Tully, it’s not good news you bear, I take it” Jason Mallister greeted him.

“I’m afraid not, Lord Mallister. Is there a place we can talk?”

“Let’s walk to my office”

“How’s my niece?”

“She’s fine. Not happy but fine. She barely spoke to me the whole ride. I fear she feels she has been betrayed by her son and by us.”

“I need to speak to you alone, then I will meet with her”

 

They were halfway up the stairs when a female voice stopped them.

“Uncle, what are you doing here?” asked a surprised Catelyn. “Where’s Robb?” she continued suspiciously.

“Cat,” the Blackfish started “how are you?”

“Fine, where’s Robb?” she insisted taking a good look at his ragged appearance.

“Let’s go to my office” interjected Lord Mallister.

 

Once they were inside the Blackfish collapsed onto a chair. “Cat, sit down” he began.

“Where’s Robb?” she insisted.

“It was a trap, from the beginning. The wedding ceremony was underway and I stepped out to have a piss. It all started before I was able to make my way back. I could hear the cries and the yells. I couldn’t get back in, the doors had been barred. They were all slaughtered. All our men, our bannermen, inside the Twins and outside the Twins. It was a massacre. I couldn’t do anything but watch. I was alone and unarmed, and I couldn’t get back in.”

“Wh- Where’s Robb?” Catelyn asked again.

“I’m sorry, Cat.”

“Did you see him? Maybe they are all in prison” suggested Jason Mallister.

“I saw countless bodies” replied Brynden Tully shaking his head slightly. “Bodies of our bannermen out in the yard, and also bodies of our men inside the Hall being dragged out to the yard.”

“Did you see King Robb?” asked Jason Mallister again.

He looked at his niece and just nodded solemnly.

“I see” she said. “Please excuse me, I’d like to retire to my chambers.” 

“Cat, wait” he tried to stop her.

She put up her hand. “I need to be alone” she said in a broken voice and turned around.

 

“This is grave news” said Lord Mallister after Catelyn had left.

“Indeed. The King is lost. The war is lost. _Hey ho, we are no more.”_

 

He was shown to a chamber and offered a bath and some food. He hadn’t realized how hungry and tired he was. He felt drained, empty. A good sleep was what he needed, he thought. But then he remembered his niece. _I need to be with her_ , he realized.

 

He got dressed again and walked up to her chambers. He knocked on the door several times but received no reply. Carefully he opened the door and peered into the room. It was dark and quiet. He walked around the room calling softly for her. Hoping to get more light into the room he drew the curtains open and heard a soft sob coming from outside. It was then that he saw her: perched on the window ledge, her legs dangling and her eyes closed. He climbed onto the ledge and moved slowly to sit by her.

 

“Cat, what are you doing here?” he asked softly so as not to startle her.

“The Twins are that way” she said pointing to the north. “That’s where my son is. Even further north is Winterfell, that’s where my babies are, Bran and Rickon. King’s Landing is that way, to the southeast, that’s where my Ned is, and maybe even Sansa. And Arya, I don’t even know where she is …” she trailed moving her arms in all directions. “They are all there, somewhere, with the Gods. And yet I’m still here.”

“Let’s step inside” he suggested, sensing what his niece intended to do.

“Why? What’s in there for me?” she asked in an empty voice still not looking at him.

“Life, hope, a future”

“I have no hope left, my future is uncertain, my life is lost”

“No, it isn’t.”

“My family is all gone” she said through gritted teeth.

“No, it isn’t. I’m still here. For all we know Sansa and Arya are alive and waiting for you. I saw Robb, but I didn’t see Edmure. Maybe he’s alive. We have Lysa. And you still have the North. You are Lady of Winterfell, Lady of the North, the mother of the King in the North. The North looks up to you, they need you. If you fall now, the North falls with you. We can still see this through.”

“I can’t. I’ve lost all my will power. I was strong for Ned, I was strong for the girls, I was strong for Robb. I have no more strength left in me Uncle.”

“Yeah, you do. Come on little Cat, let’s go back inside.”

“I can’t” she sobbed. And once the tears started to fall, she couldn’t stop the torrent flowing freely down her cheeks. The Blackfish just held his niece as she cried and trembled, whispering soothing words into her ears and patting a comforting hand over her shaking back.

 

TBC


	3. News from the Capital

“Are you sure?” asked Lord Mallister to the man standing in front of him. “He’s dead?” 

“Yes, m’lord. Killed at his own wedding. King Joffrey is dead. They plan to crown his brother Tommen in two weeks, as well as wed him to Joffrey’s widow Margaery Tyrell.”

“How did he die?” asked Brynden Tully sitting next to Lord Mallister.

“Poison they say, m’lord. He choked to death. His face turned purple. The folk are calling it the Purple Wedding” the messenger chuckled.

“Who killed him?” asked Lord Mallister.

“That remains unknown, m’lord. The Imp and his lady wife, Lady Sansa have been accused. The Imp has been arrested and is awaiting trial. Lady Sansa has disappeared.”

“Disappeared? How?”

“I don’t know, m’lord. No one knows. That’s why many people, including the Queen, suspect she was involved. I’ve heard a rumour that Lord Petyr Baelish took her to the Fingers.”

“Sansa is alive” mused the Blackfish. “Was Baelish involved in the assassination of King Joffrey?”

“I don’t know, m’lord”

“I wouldn’t put it past him, that slimy bastard” said Lord Mallister. “But he did us all a favour if he was.”

“What does he have to gain by killing the King and then kidnapping Sansa?” pondered the Blackfish. “My niece Lysa might know something. She’s always been smitten by him. Incidentally, he’s always been smitten by Cat. If anybody knows anything about Lord Baelish, it is Lysa.”

“Should we send her a raven?”

“No,” said the Blackfish. “We’ll pay her a visit. We need her men. She might also know something about Sansa.”

 

They set off two days later, Lord Brynden Tully, Jason Mallister, Catelyn Stark and an entourage of four guards. A larger party would have attracted too much attention, not to mention they would have to go across Lannister controlled Riverlands. The Blackfish relished seeing his niece smile, something she hadn’t done in days. She was hopeful now, she had something to look forward to: her daughter might well be within grasp.

 

As they got close to the Green Fork they spied boats sailing down the river. Frey banners flying together with the gold and crimson Lannister banner.

 “They are all in it together, lying bastards. Cravens. Turncoats!” Brynden Tully started yelling at the ships as they sailed by only to be forcefully shushed by Jason Mallister.

“You fool, do you want to get us all killed?” Jason Mallister pushed the Blackfish to the ground. They all hid behind the bushes waiting for the boats to sail by.

“Where are they going?” Catelyn suddenly asked.

“King’s Landing?” offered Jason Mallister.

“Riverrun” said Brynden. “They are most likely going to claim my brother’s House for themselves, sons of bitches.”

“What of Edmure?” asked Catelyn. “Do you think they killed him too?”

“Maybe. Or they may try to use him to gain leverage against Jeyne and all the people left in Riverrun.”

 

Once the ships were out of sight they emerged again and continued on their way. It was a silent and somber ride now, bore down by the realization that the Freys and the Lannisters were working together and had conspired to bring them down. They also feared for the safety of those in Riverrun with the Frey army on the way to the Tully castle. They crossed the Green Fork, passed the Kingsroad and pressed on for the Bloody Gates.

 

They were only a couple of days away when they came across a man and his young son. Upon closer inspection they realized the man was no farmer or fisherman. He was big, wearing an armor and heavily armed. They boy was also armed with a sword. What could a soldier and a young boy do against six trained soldiers? Not much they guessed, so they decided to approach the pair.

 

“Who goes there?” the man yelled grabbing his sword. The boy copied his father’s movement.

“What’s it to you? We outnumber you. You and your son want to continue on your way you tell us who you are and what your business is” replied Lord Mallister.

“I’m just a farmer. Soldiers burned my house. I ran away with my boy.”

“A heavily armed farmer” retorted the Blackfish.

 

Before anybody had time to react, the boy lunged forwards and went straight to Lady Catelyn. Taken aback, all the men drew their swords. “Step away from the Lady” one of the soldiers warned the boy.

But he didn’t. And then Lady Catelyn did something that took everybody by surprise. She started kissing and hugging the boy.

“Cat, do you know this boy?” asked the Blackfish apprehensively.

“This is no boy” she smiled. “Uncle Brynden please meet my daughter, Arya”

 

They decided to settle for the night. The man with the boy turned out to be The Hound, Joffrey’s former guard. He had abandoned his King and deserted months ago when Stannis tried to invade King’s Landing. He explained he came across Arya as they were running away from the Brotherhood. He had intended to take her to the Twins to trade for her, but arrived too late. The massacre had already taken place. So now he was taking her to her aunt Lysa in the hopes he could sell her to her family and make some money.

 

“We’ll pay you” offered Catelyn.

“You deserted the King. You said you were fed up with the Lannisters. You have nothing to do and nowhere to go” said Brynden Tully.

“So?” What’s it to you? Just pay me for the girl and I’ll be on my way” the Hound replied gruffly.

“Join us” the Blackfish continued. “If your reputation is accurate, we could use a man like you. We’ll give you a job, food, shelter, and a chance to shove your sword up Lannister asses.”

“Will you pay me?”

“Handsomely, when the war is done. We’ll give you your own holdfast in a land of your choosing. You stay with us to the end and you’ll reap the rewards. Abandon us or betray us and your life is forfeit”

“My life is forfeit as it is. Might as well do something with it.” He spat on his hand and extended it to the Blackfish who, in turn, spat on his own hand and shook hands with the renegade soldier. Lord Mallister was next. Lady Catelyn just nodded politely. She was too busy running her hands through her daughter’s messy, unkempt hair and ruffling her dirty, worn out clothes.

 

A rustle of leaves woke Brynden Tully up. In the dark of night he was not able to make out the figure slowly walking away to the horses, mounting and swiftly riding away. But he didn’t have to guess: the mere size and the brusque way of moving gave him away. The Hound was abandoning them. They could have used his sword, but he was an unpredictable man at best. Maybe it was for the best that he left. They had already taken all they needed from him, Arya Stark.

 

TBC


	4. Help from the Eyrie

“Look, Arya, that’s the Bloody Gate” said Catelyn to her daughter as they rode closer to the fortress. “Past that gate is where my sister lives.”

“The way up is treacherous” warned Brynden Tully. “We best stay close together and go up the road one by one in a single line. Watch out for loose rocks or falling boulders”

 

As predicted by the Blackfish, the road to the Eyrie was a tricky one. They had to travel on dangerous terrain, go past different armed gates and finally go up the steep rocky mountain which housed Lady Lysa’s castle. Upon arrival they were led to the Main Hall where Lysa and a man were holding court.

 

“Uncle, Cat, what brings you here?” Lysa greeted her sister and her uncle.

“Lysa, thank you for welcoming us” Catelyn replied amiably. “We have matters to discuss. This is my daughter Arya” she continued as she introduced the other members of her party. “And this is Lord Jason Mallister, he has been helping us”

“Last time you brought someone into my hall it was that conniving treacherous liar, the Imp. I hope you don’t mean trouble this time. I have done my best to keep the Vale out of trouble and out of this war you started.”

Taken aback by her sister’s harsh words Catelyn stayed silent. It was Lord Brynden who spoke up. “Cat didn’t start any war, and she has suffered great losses because of it. We could have used your help earlier and we certainly could use your help now.”

“I wouldn’t have kidnapped Lord Tyrion if I hadn’t been told the dagger belonged to him!” Catelyn replied, anger seeping through her teeth. “What is he doing here?” she asked pointing her finger at the man sitting next to her sister.

“Petyr is going to be my husband” replied Lysa.  “We’ll get married and rule the Vale together.”

“How could you?” Catelyn asked the man. “Petyr, you lied to me. You betrayed me. You betrayed Ned, and now you’re trying to use my sister? Do you have my daughter? Do you have Sansa?” she yelled at Littlefinger.

“Cat, my dear” Petyr addressed her. “You’re still grieving, you’re not thinking straight. I never lied to you. That dagger did belong to Tyrion. And I did my best to help your husband. Now I’m doing my best to help Lysa. You see, I’ve always had your family’s best interest at heart. I don’t have your daughter, but I can help you find her” he continued smoothly. He made to approach Catelyn but was immediately stopped by the Blackfish.

“You slimy lying piece of shit, get away from my niece, both of them. If you value your life you will run away now.”

“Enough!” yelled Lysa. “This is my House, my Hall, and you will all obey my rules. Petyr is to be my husband. He loves me. He has always loved me.” And then she addressed Catelyn and Brynden, “Family or not, you will abide by what I say or leave the way you came in.” When nobody moved she continued “Guards, show my sister and all her companions to the Guests’ Wing in the North Keep. They are to remain there until I deem that I want to talk to them again.”

“Yes, milady” replied the guards as they escorted an unwilling and feisty Blackfish and a submissive and defeated Catelyn out of the Hall.

 

“Uncle” Cat started as soon as they were left alone, “she’s gone mad, even worse than the last time I saw her.”

“Yes” he nodded.

“Do you think he knows where Sansa is?” she asked.

“I don’t know. He’s a very hard man to read. The only thing you can know for certain is that he only looks out for himself”

 

Brynden Tully hated waiting, but that was the only thing he could do now, locked inside a large chamber with his niece Catelyn and her daughter Arya, Lord Jason Mallister and the four guards that had accompanied them from Seagard. “A Glorified prison”, Lord Mallister had called it. And indeed it was. The large room had been furnished with plenty of beds and cots, a privy, and a big table containing various trays of food and drink. Comfortable, yes, but they were not allowed to leave, and worst of all, they had not been able to talk to Lysa.

 

It was not until the following morning that a guard came and asked Brynden Tully to follow him to Lysa’s chambers. “Lady Lysa requests your presence.”

 

“Uncle” Lysa greeted him as soon as he entered the room.

Fortunately, she was alone. _It’ll be easier to speak to her and make her see sense_ , the Blackfish thought to himself.

“What are you doing here in the Eyrie? Do you need my assistance?” Lysa continued.

“Yes, we do” he started cautiously. “What have you heard about the war, the wedding at the Twins, about King Joffrey and your niece Sansa?”

“Oh, I know everything! We may be far away and safe from trouble, but we get all the ravens, and Petyr always keeps me informed”

“Petyr” he mumbled.

“I heard the North were doing well, but they’re losing the war. Cat’s son Robb arranged for Edmure to wed a Frey girl and they got married a few weeks ago. Apparently there was a skirmish at the wedding and Robb died. Also, Joffrey was murdered at his own wedding. They say Sansa did it. I don’t know what Cat did wrong. How could her children be so troublesome? Look at my own SweetRobin, so innocent and well behaved. He would have never caused a war, let alone kill a King.”

“Let me get you up to speed, my dear niece. There was no _skirmish_ at the Twins. It was a massacre. I was there, I barely escaped with my life. We were betrayed by the Freys and the Boltons, who were most likely working for the Lannisters. They butchered all our men, including Cat’s son Robb.”

“You say _our_ men as if we were part of the war. We’re not. It was the north who started it.”

“We _are_ part of the war, Lysa!” he yelled. “Cat is part of our family. They killed her husband and they attacked our lands, your father’s lands, the Riverlands, or have you forgotten where you come from? Your father is dead, did you know? I’m sure you must have had solid reasons for not going to his funeral. The Lannisters are pillaging our villages and killing our people. Ned Stark was killed because he continued your husband’s work. Jon Arryn believed none of Cersei’s children were Robert’s and he tried to prove it. He was killed and then when Ned tried to do the same they beheaded him. Petyr Baelish betrayed Ned. He also betrayed Cat, he lied to her and misled her. He’s using you now. He doesn’t care about anybody but himself. And if you can’t see that, you’re a bigger fool than I thought”

“How dare you?” she slapped him. “Get out!”

“Listen to me!” he said forcefully grabbing her hand. “I know you love Petyr, you always have. But he’s not good for you. Your father knew this so he sent him away.”

“My father married me to a shriveled old man!”

“Yes, because of what Petyr had done to you! Don’t you see? He used you before and he’s using you again.”

“No, no no no!” she started shaking. “He’s always known what’s good for me. He’s given me more satisfaction than any other man I know. He told me to get rid of Jon. He knew Jon was not good for me, he knew I needed him, not any other man.”

“He told you to get rid of Jon? What do you mean?”

“Yes, he knew Jon would be the death of me. He gave me the poison so I could be free. Free to marry him once and for all.”

“Lysa, did you kill your husband?” he asked apprehensively.

“I set things right. I did what was best for me and my son. Don’t you see? With Jon out of the way and with Petyr by my side we can finally do everything we’ve ever wanted. We can rule, we can be powerful” she rambled.

“Oh, gods” the Blackfish mumbled to himself. “Lysa, listen to me. Petyr is no good. He made you kill an honest man and started this war. He lied to you. He does not want to rule with you, he wants to rule by himself. He set everything in motion so he could be the only winner in this Game of Thrones. He had you get rid of the King’s Hand. He set the Lannisters against the Starks by misleading Ned and Cat. I have a feeling he may have killed Joffrey and pinned it on Sansa. He’s a conniving selfish bastard, he planned everything, got people to do the dirty deeds for him and his hands are clean.”

“No, that can’t be.”

“Yes, sweetie” he tried again softly. “Listen to me. He’s not helping you. He’s using you. We are your family. I’m your Uncle. Cat is your sister. We want to help you, but we need your help to do so. Edmure needs you. We don’t know if he was killed at the wedding or if he is being kept prisoner. We saw boats going to Riverrun. They are probably attacking your family’s House as we speak. Can you help us?”

“How can I help?” she finally said.

“Give us men. We need men to attack the Twins and save Riverrun.”

“Alright. Do you really think Petyr is using me?” she asked with such a childlike fear it reminded him of when Lysa was a little girl and would turn to him for support when her father was too busy to pay any attention to her.

“Yes, honey, I do. You would never have killed Jon on your own if he hadn’t pushed you.”

“He told me to write to Cat that it was the Lannisters who had killed Jon. Oh Gods, what have I done?” she sobbed.

“What’s done is done, honey. Let’s focus on the future. We’ll leave with your men as soon as possible so we can reclaim our House and save our men.”

“What about Petyr?”

“Don’t marry him.”

“Should I tell him to leave? Him and his bastard girl?”

“What bastard girl?”

“The one he brought from the Fingers”

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of the story so far ... I really appreciate your comments.  
> Thanks.


	5. Creepy Petyr

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Attempted rape here (it's Creepy Petyr) ... but nothing happens in the end ... Disney compared to the stuff we see on game of Thrones

“Mother, your Uncle has been gone for a long time” Arya said to her mother. They had been waiting in the guests chambers ever since the guard had come to take Brynden Tully hours ago.

“He’s talking to Lysa. Hopefully he’ll be able to talk some sense into her.”

“I mean no disrespect, my Lady,” started Lord Mallister, “but your sister did not seem like the most sensible kind of person. I fear for Lord Tully’s safety”

“She may be a bit … different right now” Catelyn replied looking for the right words “but she’s still my sister. I know her, or at least I thought I did. Let’s not lose our faith just yet.”

 

Another guard came and asked for Catelyn this time. “Is my sister calling for me?” she asked.

“No, Lord Baelish” replied the guard.

 

She was escorted to Petyr Baelish’s chambers.

“Cat, I’m so glad you’re okay” he said as soon as she was let inside the room. “When I heard about the wedding at the Twins I feared the worst. I’m sorry for your loss, darling” he said as he tried to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Swiftly she moved sideways and his hand patted the air between them. “Regardless what you think of me, everything I’m doing is for you.” His words were met by utter silence and a steely glare. “I’m still convinced it was the Imp who tried to kill your son.”

“It wasn’t” she interrupted him coldly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for you to be misled by my actions.” He tried to take her hand in his but she pulled away. “I really did try to help your husband, I tried to…”

“You got him killed” she interrupted him again.

“I love you Cat, I always have”

“Yet, everything you’ve done has resulted in loss after loss for me. You don’t love me Petyr, you don’t love anybody but yourself. You don’t even love Lysa, you’re using her.”

“I’m not using her Cat. I care about her. That’s why I offered to marry her. She needs guidance. But now that you’re here, your uncle can guide her just as well” He caught her hand and kissed it gently. “Marry me Cat. I love you and I know you love me, you always have. You saved me from Brandon. Your Ned is gone and you cannot be alone, not in these perilous times we live. I’ll protect you”

“Don’t touch me. You have brought me nothing but grief” she spat.

“I can bring you joy, Cat”

“I seriously doubt that.”

“You don’t understand. I have something you want, and only I can give it to you.” She kept silent waiting for him to continue. “Sansa”

“Do you know where Sansa is?” she asked.

“Yes, who do you think got her out of King’s Landing when all the soldiers were looking for her?”

“She didn’t kill Joffrey”

“Of course not, she’s a sweet girl. She’s your daughter, after all.”

“Where is she? Is she alright?”

“Yes” he said gently holding her hand in his. “She’s safe. I saved her for you. She’s here. I’m passing her off as my bastard daughter to avoid suspicion.”

“Your bastard daughter?”

“She would have been mine. She should have been mine all along. She looks just like you at that age. I think of you every moment I spend with her”

“Take me to her”

“All in due time” he said coyly.

“No, I said take me now” she insisted.

“Oh, Cat, everything I’ve done is for you. I love to see you happy. I can make you happy, much happier than that cold husband you were forced to marry. I will cherish you for as long as we live. Marry me.”

“It is not me you want. All you care about are my titles. Let me go” she said as she tried to pull away from his unwanted embrace.

“No, Cat, you’re mine. I have your daughter. I can give her back to you or I can keep her forever. I can make Lysa put you in prison for treason to the Crown or I can have her send you to the Lannisters. All you have to do, is do what you were meant to from the beginning, before the bloody Starks got in our way. Marry me.”

“No!” she yelled but was cut short when his mouth fell upon hers. “Let … me … go” she tried to say.

 

He pushed her to his bed and climbed on top of her. He straddled her and grabbed both her wrists with one of his hands, the other hand roaming freely over her body. She kept turning her head trying to avoid his kisses. Just as his hand slithered under the cleavage of her dress and started fondling her breast, he was yanked away from her. She breathed a sigh of relief and was grateful to see her Uncle grabbing Petyr by the neck and Lord Jason Mallister right behind him.

 

“Are you alright my Lady?” Jason Mallister asked her as he helped her up. Still in shock Catelyn grabbed tightly onto his arm.

“Y-yes, thank you” she whispered.

 

“You dirty little bastard!” Lord Brynden yelled at Petyr Baelish as he pounded his face with his fist. “Selfish son of a bitch” he hit him again “pervert sorry excuse for a human being” and again “you good for nothing scumbag” and again until Petyr could answer no more.

 

“Thank you Uncle” Catelyn whispered as soon as she was able to catch her breath. “He tried to …”

“I know, sweetheart. I know. Are you alright?”

“Yes” she replied feeling better already. “He said he has Sansa, here in the castle. He said he passed her off as his daughter to take her out of King’s Landing”

“Yes, she’s here” her uncle replied and moved towards the door to let a young girl step in.

“Mother?” the young girl took a tentative step towards Catelyn. “He told me you were dead and that he wanted to help me.”

“Oh, sweetie! Come here!” cried Catelyn as she hugged her long-lost daughter.

“Is Robb with you too?”

“No, sweetie, he’s not. I’m afraid he’s dead.”

“Just like father, and Bran and Rickon” Sansa said sadly.

“Yes” her mother nodded. “But Arya is not. She’s here with us.”

“Arya! She’s alive! I feared the worst when she ran away. Nobody knew anything about her, nobody would tell me anything. They kept telling me about Robb and taunting me with bringing me his head, but nothing about Arya.”

“Oh, my sweetheart, we’ll be going home soon, I promise, the three of us together.”

 

So it was that just a few days later a large host of men from the Vale left the Eyrie commanded by Lord Yohn Royce. They had sent ravens to all the Lords they knew in the Eyrie and the Riverlands who had not fallen to the Lannisters. Getting men from the North could prove to be difficult as they would have to travel across Frey controlled lands. The meeting point was the Whispering Wood – an apt location to remind everyone of the grand victory achieved by the King in the North. They were going to Riverrun, they had a castle to retake and people to free.

 

“My Lady, you must be very happy you have found your two daughters” Jason Mallister told Catelyn as they were riding.

“Yes, thank you. I must admit, after Robb I had almost lost all hope. I owe you a great debt Lord Mallister.”

“Don’t mention it”

“No, I’m serious. I disagreed with my son at first when he made me leave with you, but he was right. I owe you my life. And you have been very kind to me, you made me feel at home in Seagard, you helped me when news of my son’s death arrived, and you accompanied us here. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, my Lady” he smiled timidly and rode off.

 

During the ride, the two young Stark girls took their time to reminisce over their childhood and shared fond memories of Winterfell. Sansa told Arya about the events in King’s Landing after she disappeared: everything she had to endure at the hands of Joffrey, her marriage to Tyrion Lannister, Joffrey’s wedding and subsequent death and how Ser Dontos helped her escape to Petyr Baelish’s boat. At the mention of her former friend, Catelyn couldn’t help but wince remembering how he had attacked her and how he had betrayed her and caused her so much grief. Sansa also talked about the short time she spent at the Fingers and the Eyrie posing as Petyr’s daughter until her mother rescued her. Similarly, Arya filled them in with all the details pertaining to her adventures after their father had been killed. At the mention of Ned Stark’s execution all three Stark ladies looked at each other and smiled sadly. Arya talked about her time with Yoren, escaping with Hot Pie and Gendry, her time at Harrenhall and with the Brotherhood, how she had escaped only to get caught by the Hound and how they had made it to the Twins but not before the massacre had taken place. To her sister’s dismay, she was happy to include all sort of gory details. As much as they were bickering and fighting, their mother was pleased just to see them together. _Those two will never change_ , she thought.

 

“What’s going to happen to Petyr?” Sansa asked her mother as they rode away from the Vale.

“Lysa is letting him stay. She gave him a well aired room with a wonderful view of the mountains” she replied with a smile picturing Petyr Baelish shivering with fear in one of the Sky cells.

 

TBC


	6. Phase One: First We take Riverrun.

Jeyne Westerling looked out of the window from her room in Riverrun. With one hand she tenderly caressed her stomach as she wiped her tears with the other one. _Robb, Robb, my husband, my King, the father of my child._ Dead. Murdered by his own bannermen. Betrayed by his allies. And now she was also their prisoner, along with all the people at Riverrun. Robb had left her safe and sound fearing an attack could be possible. Unfortunately, he was right. She wondered how her good-mother had fared. She was aware of Robb’s plan to send her to Seagard before the wedding. Hopefully she had not perished at that accursed wedding.

 

She kept looking out the window, nothing else to do, nowhere to go … it was a beautiful landscape: the rivers which stretched endlessly, winding and strong, like a silver ribbon on the green grass disappearing off into the horizon; a vast expanse of green lands where she imagined farmers tending to their cattle (well, whoever was left, as most of them had perished in the war, their houses pillaged, their lands burned and their families taken away), and a thick, heavy forest splayed out just below the morning sun. The forest, it was moving. It was getting closer. It was chanting. She could hear a faint chant off into the distance. She couldn’t make out the words, but the beat was definitely a battle cry. That was not the forest, it was an army! Too far away to see the banners. She prayed to all the Gods, Her Seven and her husband’s Old Gods, that the banners those soldiers were carrying were Stark or Tully banners. She had almost lost hope when the Freys came and took Riverrun and told her about Robb, but she could always pray.

 

The host kept getting closer and she could make out some of the banners: a grey direwolf in a field of white, a white falcon with a crescent moon in a field of blue, a white leaping trout in a field of red and blue. She didn’t recognize many of the others, but she did realize something very important: there were no golden lions, identical towers or flayed men. Hope was not lost. She had to help them, and she knew just how.

 

 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

Just as arranged, all the soldiers had gathered by the Whispering Woods. It was an impressive host consisting of a large party of men from the Vale, other families from the Eyrie and the Riverlands, a few Northern Lords and men from Seagard. They set up tents not far from Riverrun and decided to approach the following day. Lady Catelyn and her two daughters would remain in the camp with Jason Mallister and a small guard.

 

As they approached Riverrun, Lord Brynden Tully was enraged to see the Frey banners flying from the towers. With an authoritative voice which gave more force to an already impressive host he called “Remove the Frey banners from my castle. Surrender and you will not be harmed.” The answer he received was a shower of arrows landing just short of their location.

 

“Lord Tully” one of his soldiers called him. “We caught this young man sneaking into our camp. He claims he knows you and wants to speak to you” he said and dragged a young man with bound hands.

“Millan” the Blackfish recognized the young man who had been working at the stables in Riverrun since he could walk. “What are you doing here? Where do you come from?” he asked as he untied the stable boy’s hands.

“I escaped through the broken sewage by the South Wall. Lady Jeyne sent me with a message” he said and gave him a parchment.

 

_My Dear Good Uncle,_

_Life has not been kind to us in Riverrun since we heard of the massacre at the wedding. I cannot console myself thinking of my poor husband. I was glad to hear you had escaped. Not long after we received the news of the betrayal by the Freys, they came and took the castle. The men have been imprisoned and the women have been locked in the main building. All the servants are being closely watched, but the castle is not heavily armed. Knowing most of our soldiers had gone to the wedding at the Twins, they did not bother to bring many soldiers when they came here. They are waiting for a Lannister host to fortify their position, but their army has not arrived yet. There is not much we can do from the inside, but we can find you a way in. If you agree, we’ll leave the broken sewage by the South Wall open and you and your men can sneak inside and attack them from within._

_Awaiting your reply,_

_Lady Jeyne Stark._

 

“Very well” said the Blackfish. “Tell Lady Jeyne we will follow her plan under the cover of dark tonight. Well done, Millan”

“Thank you, my lord. I’ll tell the Lady” he said and turned to the stream that led back to the South Wall.

 

The invading army spent the rest of the day exchanging taunts and verbal threats with their counterpart from behind the walls of Riverrun. They pretended to be preparing for a siege, making camp and putting up empty tents. By nightfall, the only thing the Freys in Riverrun could see was an army setting up for the long term on the outskirts of the castle. They had no idea this army was actually preparing a stealth sneak attack from within the very walls of the castle.

 

Led by Brynden Tully himself, a small host of men who knew the inside layout of Riverrun started trickling towards the South Wall one by one and in small groups. They crouched behind the trees and then crawled down the stream under the cover of darkness. They entered through the broken pipe and then quickly made it into the yard. As quietly as they could, they started attacking the unaware soldiers. By the time the alarm was sounded many Freys lay dead or incapacitated and the portcullis had been opened. The rest of the soldiers stormed the castle walls and made it inside for an all-out attack. The battle was over not long after it had begun. The Frey soldiers who hadn’t perished in the attack were taken to the dungeons to occupy the cells left vacant by the freed Tully men.  

 

Even though everybody was cheering and celebrating in the yard after their victory over the Freys, the mood was not all festive. Yes, they had reclaimed the castle and their casualties had been minimal, but nobody could forget what had led to this in the first place. The King and most of his men were dead and no victory could ever bring them back.

 

Later that night, Brynden Tully, Lady Catelyn, Lady Jeyne and Jason Mallister sat together in the study.

 

“Difficult to say who should sit in the chair” noted the Blackfish pointing at the empty chair behind the desk. “This is my family House, but that chair was my brother’s, not mine. When my brother passed away, it was my nephew Edmure who inherited it, but Edmure is not here. Then it should be our King’s, the King in the North, but he’s not here either. Should his mother, who is also a Tully by name and heir to Riverrun as well, sit in the chair? Or should the King’s wife, Queen Jeyne?”

 

Upon tacit agreement the chair was left vacant and they all sat around the table. Phase one of their plan had been achieved, Riverrun had been reclaimed. Now onto the next phase: attack the Twins and liberate their men.

 

TBC


	7. Phase Two: Then We Take The Twins

While the men were planning an attack on the Twins, the Tully-Stark ladies took some time to themselves. Lady Catelyn introduced her two daughters Sansa and Arya to their late brother’s wife, Lady Jeyne Westerling. They were thrilled to find out Jeyne was pregnant carrying Robb’s child and they started making all sorts of plans for when the baby came.

 

“Stay here at Riverrun, Cat” Brynden told his niece as they were getting everything ready for their departure. “Stay with your girls and with Robb’s wife. There’s nothing for you at the Twins.”

“No, Uncle. The last time I was left behind we almost lost it all. I want to be there. I want to look Walder Frey in the eye as you kill him. You will kill him, won’t you?” she asking almost begging.

“Yes”

“I want to be there. You cannot leave me behind, not again” she said and he nodded in agreement.

 

With the men from Riverrun and the ones who had come from the Vale and the vicinity, they had an army more than capable of taking the Twins. They knew it would not be as easy as it had been in Riverrun. To begin with, they wouldn’t get any help from inside. And besides, this time the Freys would be waiting for them, armed and ready. That still did not deter them; they were fueled by a desire for vengeance which would not be quenched until the bones of their King were laid to rest and his murderers were put to death.

 

It was thus that they made it to the outskirts of the Twins. They could already see that the Freys had fortified their walls and armed their guards. The Blackfish approached the fortress and addressed Lord Frey from a distance. 

 

“Lord Frey. Craven and Turncoat. Do yourself one last favour before we storm your castle and put everyone to the sword. Save the lives of your sons and daughters, your grandsons and granddaughters, and all your bastards. Surrender and release your prisoners!”

 

They kept expecting an answer which never came, not a word, not a shout, not even a shower of arrows. But when the answer did come, Catelyn couldn’t help but gasp. Hands bound behind his back and a noose around his neck stood her brother, Edmure Tully. The Blackfish felt his blood come to a boil.

 

“The answer is simple, Lord Brynden Tully” came the reply from the wall “You come anywhere near our castle and we’ll start executing prisoners, starting with your nephew Edmure.”

 

Going back to their tents, Brynden Tully and his generals started devising new strategies. A siege was out of the question, that would only give the Freys time enough to execute all the prisoners they had from the Red Wedding and for Lannister support to arrive. They had no way of sneaking in like they had in Riverrun. As dangerous and unpredictable as it was, an all-out attack was the only option.

 

Using leather and wooden planks they built boards to shield them from falling arrows. These boards could hide between fifteen and twenty men carrying a battering ram to burst the portcullis open. They also built dummies and placed them on a wheeled cart. These would be used as a decoy. They would roll these carts down the hill in the dark of night; hopefully the Freys would mistake them for soldiers and waste their arrows on these dummies. They would also be using catapults to throw flaming rocks onto the battlements trying to kill as many soldiers as they could. Yet, they knew the main battle would take place in the yard in the form of hand to hand combat.

 

By night fall everything was in place. The carts were stuffed with dummies; the men rallied themselves up under the protective boards; the catapults were rolled into position. Brynden Tully gave the word and the attack was under way.

 

From their safe position at the top of the hill, Catelyn watched as men she had come to love and admire ran to their fate. How many of them would come back? Her uncle was a very accomplished soldier, but he was also getting old. Lord Jason Mallister had been a great help to her when Robb sent her to Seagard before the wedding. She had resented him at the beginning, but then the man proved to be very courteous and loyal. He had accompanied them to the Eyrie and had helped in the taking of Riverrun. She liked the man and really enjoyed the few talks she had had with him. Standing next to her and her daughters keeping guard, he was, at least for now, far from danger and that was no small comfort. She feared for all the soldiers’ safety. There were so many men who had ridden with them since she joined her son in the war campaign, so many men who had died or who were now prisoners, men who had lost their families to this pointless war. How many of these men would be coming back? How many men would be freed from the Twins dungeons? Her brother hopefully? How many of these men would be returning to their homes? When would they be returning home? Dread makes for an awful companion, and fear makes your brain wonder in directions you don’t really want to venture. She wished she could have happy thoughts, but that ship had long sailed. Happy times had ended when King Robert had come to ask Ned to be his Hand in what felt like decades ago. Now, all she could do was wait as these men ran towards a portcullis in the hopes of ramming it open. She looked at her two young daughters and her son’s pregnant wife and prayed that this whole mess would be over soon so they could go home. Jeyne was fretting. Sansa was crying and praying, and Arya was … she was fighting an invisible foe with an invisible sword! “I should be there Mother, I know how to kill men” she had said. Every time she mentioned how she had killed to survive, Catelyn couldn’t help the pang in her heart and the knot in her throat. No girl that age should have to suffer what Arya had gone through.

 

A loud thud brought her out of the reverie. A loud thud. Could that be the portcullis bursting open? A wall collapsing? They couldn’t see much from where they were standing. “They are through, my Lady!” yelled Jason Mallister. “They have penetrated the walls!” he cheered. With bated breath they waited … and waited. What if it was a trap and they were butchered inside? What if the Freys decided to execute all their prisoners, including her brother? They could hear yells and cries and the clashing of swords coming from inside. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the Frey banner was lowered. That was the signal. The battle was over.

 

Barely able to hold their excitement Lord Mallister and the ladies approached the castle. Carnage and gore was what awaited them inside the walls. Blood and body parts covered the ground; men dead or dying, men from both sides. Finally Catelyn set her eyes on her uncle. Brynden Tully stood tall and proud giving orders to his men to put all the remaining Frey soldiers in fetters. The prisoners were taken to the dungeons and the Stark and Tully men who had been there since the Red Wedding were released.

 

“Not all of them are guilty” said Edmure Tully as the Frey men and women were being locked in their cells. “Some men didn’t know. Most of the women did not know either, and they did not participate. My wife is innocent, and so are her handmaids, her sisters and most of her cousins.”

“Those who were not privy to the plan will be escorted to their chambers where they will remain as honored guest. They will not be allowed to leave the castle but they will be granted freedom within these walls. Those who knew about it but did not take part will be locked in the dungeons. Those who orchestrated and participated in the murder of our King and his men will be put to death” declared Brynden Tully “starting with Lord Walder Frey and Lord Roose Bolton” he added grabbing both men and throwing them inside a cell.

 

The freed prisoners, the only witnesses to the massacre, were trusted with the task of deciding who had been involved and who hadn’t. _Not a very impartial jury_ , thought Catelyn but kept the thought to herself. Many of the Frey and Bolton men were thrown in prison and sentenced to die, regardless of how much they claimed innocence or pleaded for mercy. Catelyn felt sick to her stomach. The hatred she felt for these men who had caused her so much grief was immeasurable, but did they really have the right to be police, judge and executioner? Setting her misgivings aside, she tried to convince herself that these men had killed her son and therefore deserved to die.

 

They spent the night at the Twins and organized the executions for the following afternoon. Edmure Tully, the restored Lord of Riverrun was in charge of the executions himself. One by one the Frey and Bolton men who had been sentenced to die were led to the chopping block to have their heads cut off by Edmure. One by one they kept claiming their innocence and begging for mercy. One by one their heads rolled down. _A clean death, Ned had called it. There’s nothing clean abut this_ , Catelyn mused.

 

“Lord Roose Bolton” called Brynden Tully “please step forward and accept your due punishment for the crimes you committed against your King.”

Roose Bolton wordlessly approached the block and bowed his head. Catelyn recalled how she had always mistrusted Roose Bolton. Those empty pale eyes which gave nothing away did not make him a man to be trusted. He never said much, he never gave much. She had always felt unnerved by his presence. There was something about this man that always made her feel uncomfortable. _A naked man holds few secrets, a flayed man none_ , he always said. Well, they were about to see what kind of secrets a headless man could hold. His death was as silent as his life had been.

 

“Lord Walder Frey please step forward and accept your due punishment for the crimes you committed against your King.”

Lord Walder had to be dragged by his chains as he fought every step of the way.

“My King, eh,” he spat. “That’s what I say to my King. Spoiled brat. Can’t be much of a King without a head, now can he? Where do you put your crown, eh, my boy King? On your head or on the beast’s head?” he sneered

“Shut up and place your head on the block” Brynden Tully warned him.  

“Have you seen your King lately?” Walder Frey kept taunting them. “A bit human a bit wolf, eh. No longer human, no longer wolf, I say. Ha ha. All you Tullys, your family snubbed us all my life. Now you have no King. Do you know how much your boy cried? Boo, boo, the spoilt brat King wailed, eh, till the arrows shut him up. No longer a boy, no longer a beast. Do you want to know what we did with his body? A boy’s body with a beast’s head, that’s how he met his Gods. Ha ha. He thought he could laugh at us, look at him now, eh. Nobody crosses the Freys of the Crossing. The King in the North died crying like a baby.”

“Somebody gag him” shouted Edmure.

 

And somebody did run towards Walder Frey, but not to gag him. Catelyn Stark sprinted up the steps, dagger in hand. With a strength and speed that surprised all those standing in the yard she stabbed the man responsible for the untimely demise of her son again and again. In complete shock and unable to utter a word, her family and companions watched as she unleashed a fury seldom seen in her, the knife coming down again and again on the old man. A guttural animal cry escaped her lips and filled the silence in the yard. By the time someone approached her and carried her away, she had no more voice left in her and her body was covered in blood. She opened her eyes just in time to see Jason Mallister’s worried face and his strong arms holding her before her world went black.

 

 TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading. Please let me know what you think of the story so far.  
> Saludos.


	8. Council Meeting

Having taken the Twins, the newly regrouped Tully-Stark army felt stronger than ever. They all met in Council early the following morning to plan their next steps and different voices rang from all corners of the Hall, which had been redecorated with Stark and Tully banners replacing the old Frey flags and identical towers tapestries.

 

“We should keep going until King’s Landing”

“No, we should take advantage that Tywin’s army is in King’s Landing and take Casterly Rock. That will teach them!”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, if we continue we may lose all we have achieved. I say we sue for peace”

“Craven! What do you suggest? Just pack up and leave? If we sue for peace now they will think us weak. They will follow us into our homes. I say we trash them”

“We could go home, back to our families”

“We do that and they will kill our families! I agree with Lord Umber”

“What do you say Lady Mormont?”

“The Freys killed my daughter aided by the Lannisters. I want to show them how it feels to lose what they love. But we can’t do this on our own. Our forces are big, but not big enough.”

“What are you saying?”

“Lady Mormont is right, we need an ally.”

“Who? Dorne? They don’t take part in this. The Ironborn? It is said the Bastard of Bolton took care of them in Winterfell, and only a small garrison holds Moat Cailin.”

“What about Stannis”

“Stannis? He’s got practically no army left after the Battle of Blackwater.”

“Maybe so, but he’s got the name and the claim. The truth is the boy sitting on the Iron Throne is a bastard, Stannis comes after Robert, and that truth got Lord Eddard Stark killed”

“And Jon Arryn before him. That’s why the Lannisters started this war in the first place.”

“So you want us to go to war to put a Southron on the throne! All our blood spilt for a Southron King that has nothing to do with us?”

“We could let Stannis have the Iron Throne. We’ll have our King in the North.”

“Our King in the North is dead”

“He left his seed. Lady Jeyne is carrying his child.”

“If it’s a boy and if he survives childhood and if he grows to be a man, only then will we have our King. Too many ifs, and I’m too old to see this through. I’ll probably be dead by the child’s fifth name day”

“The King in the North had siblings”

“Sisters. The two boys are dead. The other one is a bastard”

“Who was legitimized by King Robb before he rode into the Twins”

“That’s irrelevant. Jon Snow is at the Wall. The Night Watch takes no part in this.”

“He could be recalled.”

“Ha! You tell Lady Catelyn about it.”

“She might make you into chopped beef and add it to her stew!”

“Enough!” yelled the Blackfish not wanting the men in the Hall to mock his niece.

“He will not come. The law is very clear. The Night Watch takes no part in the affairs of the realm”

“I say we vote” Brynden Tully finally said. “We have several options: we sue for peace and we go home; we give it all we have and go for King’s Landing; we take them by surprise and take Casterly Rock from them; we ally ourselves with Stannis to have a better chance and then split the Kingdon in two: The South for Stannis and the North for us.”

“Aye, let’s vote. All those in favour of calling it quits and going home”

“It’s not calling it quits, it’s knowing where to draw the line! And I’m in favour”

“Anyone else? Raise your hands ..two, four, five, eight, ten. Ten people in favour of going home. Raise your hands if you say we attack King’s Landing. … three, five, seven, ten, eleven. Eleven people in favour of attacking King’s Landing. Raise your hands if you are in favour of attacking Casterly Rock … three, four, six, seven. Seven people in favour of attacking Casterly Rock. Now raise your hands if you think we should ally ourselves with Stannis and have our Kingdon in the North.”

“I vote only if this Northern Kingdom includes the Riverlands. I will not be part of another Kingdom.”

“Yes, we’ll mark the border at the Riverlands. Stannis can keep the Crownlands and everything else south. Let him deal with Dorne.”

“We still don’t know if he’ll agree. And we still haven’t decided who’ll be our King in the North”

“One step at a time, Lord Glover, one step at a time. All those in favour of joining Stannis to attack King’s Landing and then have our own Kingdom in the North and the Riverlands.”

“And the Eyrie!”

“The Riverlands and the Eyrie. Please raise your hands .. three, five, eight, ten, twelve, thirteen, fifteen, eighteen, twenty, twenty one, twenty two. The Council has heard our voices: We will contact Stannis. Dismissed” Brynden Tully declard the meeting over.

 

After leaving the Hall, Brynden Tully went to check on his niece. She had fallen ill the day before, after Lord Walder’s execution, and had been taken to her tent outside the castle. He found her talking to her two daughters and Lady Jeyne.

“Ladies, good morning” he greeted them.

“Good morning Lord Tully” replied Lady Jeyne.

“Good morning Uncle” said Catelyn and then turned to her daughters “Girls, why don’t you go with Lady Jeyne and get some breakfast? I want to speak with my uncle”

“How are you feeling this morning?” he asked her after the girls had left.

“Better, thanks. Ashamed. Oh, Uncle, I’m so embarrassed. I don’t know what came over me yesterday.”

“Walder Frey came over you. He taunted you and provoked you. You’re human, you were bound to break.”

“Gods! People must think I’m crazy. They probably think I’ve lost it.”

“No. Some of them may fear you now, but they certainly respect you. Actually many of them were cheering your name. You passed out so you don’t remember.”

“What happened after I passed out? I remember Jason Mallister held me before I hit the floor.”

“Yes, he was very worried and concerned” he said and smiled “very worried, very concerned.”

“Why are you smiling?”

“Nothing. I’m just saying .. he cares about you.”

“Uncle!”

“What? I think he likes you. You’re a fresh widow Cat. I know you miss Ned, but you should start looking.”

“I’m not looking for anything”

“Well, I think you could. You’re still young and good looking. He’s a nice man.”

“-who is probably afraid I’ll go in a fit of rage and murder him in his sleep like I did old Walder”

“No!” he laughed. “But he was concerned. He was the one who held you when you fainted. He brought you here to your tent. I wanted to take you to one of the rooms in the castle but he was the one who suggested it was better to get you out of that place. He was right. We brought you here and Lady Jeyne and Lady Roslin, Edmure’s wife, bathed you, cleaned you up and got you to bed.”

“Did my girls see it? What did they say?”

“Sansa was scared I think. Arya was … in awe. She kept saying how proud of you she was.”

“Oh Gods Arya. All these months she has grown up surrounded by so much violence. I fear I have lost the little girl she once was. She’s a warrior now.”

“And a very good one. She was practicing with one of Lord Glover’s nephews last night”

“How’s Edmure? Is he alright with Roslin?”

“Yes, they are sharing a tent. She wanted to stay in the castle but he flat out refused. Apparently they wouldn’t let him see her during his captivity. She’s carrying his child but all they did was taunt him about the baby. Poor Roslin wanted to go to him but her family wouldn’t let her. They seemed to have made up now. He looked very happy this morning…” he said with a grin.

“Uncle, you’re naughty!”

“I hope they find happiness in their marriage”

“What’s going to happen to the Twins? Who are you going to leave in charge?”

“Olyvar. He was Robb’s squire and he’s a decent man”

“Yes, I like Olyvar”

“But he’ll be watched. He will be forced to pledge allegiance to Riverrun again and to Edmure. He will also be forced to pledge allegiance to the King in the North”

“What King in the North?” asked Catelyn confused.

“The one we will have when the war is over. We just had Council meeting this morning. It was decided we will join Stannis Baratheon in his fight for the Iron Throne.”

“Stannis? But he killed his own brother. I saw it with my own eyes!”

“Yes, I know, but nobody can corroborate your story, Cat. All we know is that Renly died.”

“Uncle, you have to believe me, I saw it. We can’t trust a kinslayer or that red Priestess he has following him around”

“I believe you Cat. But we need him if we want to see this through. We will ask him to join forces with us to attack King’s Landing and remove the Lannisters and the bastard boy from the throne. Stannis will sit on the Iron Throne to rule over the Southern Kingdom. And there will be a King in the North ruling from the Riverlands to the Wall.”

“Has he agreed?”

“Well, we still need to write the letter. But I don’t see why not. Without us he’s doomed. He has no army left after the Blackwater Bay fiasco. At least this way he’ll get a crown”

“And who’ll be the King in the North?”

“Why, your grandson, Robb’s child” he smiled.

“And if it’s a girl?”

“There’s Sansa and Arya. And there’s Jon.”

“I see” she replied through clenched teeth. “Robb wanted to legitimize him. I opposed him and that’s why he sent me away. The girls come before Jon. Jon is not my son”

“Well, we’ll see who’s King when we get to that point. First we need to get to Stannis and win the war.”

 

 

TBC


	9. Uniting Our Forces

_To: King Stannis Baratheon._

_We know that being King Robert Baratheon’s only surviving brother you are the rightful heir to the throne and that the boy who sits on the Iron Throne now is a Lannister bastard born of incest. The Lannisters have robbed you of your crown._

_The Lannisters also aided the Freys in the murder of our King in the North, Robb Stark, in an act of cowardice and treachery. We have now mounted an army and have reclaimed Riverrun to its rightful owners and exacted our revenge on the Freys and Boltons involved in the so called Red Wedding._

_We are aware of your diminished forces after the Battle of Blackwater. On your own you cannot hope to defeat the Lannisters. We offer you an alliance. Let us join forces and together we will prevail. After King’s Landing has surrendered to our joint forces you will be declared King of the Iron Throne ruling over the Crownlands, The Reach, Casterly Rock, Storm’s End and Dorne. We will, however, have our own King in the North. All the lands north of Riverrun will belong to the Kingdom of the North._

_Please consider our terms and send an answer back with our envoy._

_Lord Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun, Warden of the Riverlands._

_Lord Brynden Tully on behalf of Lady Lysa Arryn of the Eyrie._

_Lady Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, Rightful Warden of the North_

_Lady Jeyne Stark, wife to the late King in the North._

 

Sitting in his study at Dragonstone Stannis pondered what to do next.

“What do you make of this, Ser Davos?” he asked.

“It’s a sensible move, Your Grace. The Northerners have shown great resilience in the face of adversity and from what I gathered, they do have a powerful army.”

“They mean to strip me of half my Kingdom”

“A half you don’t even hold yet. With their aid we may get the crown you deserve, Your Grace, even if the Kingdom is half of what you had envisioned at the beginning.”

“Not envision, deserve. It is mine by right.”

“Your brother won the crown by conquest, Your Grace, and we may lose it the same way, or we might retake it the same way.”

“Thank you Ser Davos. What do you say my lady?” he asked his Red Priestess Melisandre.

“The Lord of Light works in mysterious ways. Maybe we should ally ourselves with the Wolves to defeat the Lions. I know you will prevail, my Lord. The flames have told me so.”

“So it is settled then. You are willing to give up half my Kingdom.”

“We are willing to win you half a Kingdom, Your Grace” replied Melisandre.

“Alright” he finally said after a long silence. “As my Hand and my Priestess, your input has been invaluable so far, I will heed your advice. I will reply to the Tullys. Send in their envoy, I will talk to him”

 

“My Lord, did you call for me?” the envoy asked.

“Yes, what was your name?”

“Messer Mallister, my Lord” replied the young man.

“Well, young Messer, tell your Lords I accept their terms. We are to meet in a month’s time at the southern tip of the God’s Eye. We’ll discuss further terms once we meet in person. You are dismissed.”

“Thank you my Lord” 

 

_One month later, by the God’s Eye …_

 

Looking at a map, Stannis, Melisandre, Davos and some of Stannis’s generals stood next to Edmure Tully, Brynden Tully, Lord Jason Mallister, Maege Mormont, GreatJon Umber and Lord Glover. It was decided they would march to King’s Landing together. There was no point in concealing their forces, as the Lannisters were already aware of what had transpired at Riverrun and the Twins and most likely knew that both sides had joined forces – secrets of this magnitude were hard to hide with spies lurking at every corner. They would march onto King’s Landing and storm the gates. Their army was large enough to be divided and so they could attack from all the gates simultaneously giving the city guards no respite.

 

“The Imp was in prison accused of killing Joffrey, but apparently he has escaped, my sources tell me,” said Stannis. “They were going to send him to the Wall but he ran away. Some say he had help from inside – my money is on his brother Jamie. But that is not all. Before running away it is reported he attempted to kill his father Tywin Lannister.”

“Did he succeed?”

“He shot him with an arrow when he was sitting in his privy. He was grievously wounded but my sources say he is still alive”

“He was shot while taking a shit?! Was he shitting gold?”

“I bet he shat himself when he saw the Imp with a bow!”

“Given the Imp’s height he couldn’t have aimed higher than Tywin’s balls!”

“Enough, I will not tolerate this disrespect” said Stannis. “We have more urgent matters to attend to. We could use this to our advantage. If we control the lands surrounding King’s Landing, they will get no reinforcements from outside. With Joffrey’s murder, the Imp’s escape and Tywin lying on his deathbed, the City Watch is probably dealing with a lot of riots and confusion. Their numbers will be running very thin trying to cover all the gates. We can kill as many soldiers as we need to, but I want civilians to be spared. I will be their King and I don’t want them to think me merciless”

“King Stannis,” the Blackfish started “everything has been arranged for our attack on King’s Landing. We are still agreed on the outcome, are we not? We will have our own Kingdom. The territories North of Riverrun will have our own King in the North.”

“That is what we agreed. I would hope you take me for an honorable man. I will not go back on my word.”

“Then I suggest we put an end to this meeting and start getting ready. Folks, we have a rebellion to win. Relish this moment, for songs will be written about us!” Brynden Tully exclaimed to the roaring and cheering of his comrades.

 

 TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are greatly appreciated.  
> Thanks.


	10. A New King

Finally the day arrived and the large Tully-Stark-Arryn-Baratheon army marched south onto King’s Landing. What awaited them there was a battle of epic proportions. They divided their army and sent a contingent to all the gates. Lord Brynden Tully was charged with leading the host going towards the Western Gate. They rammed the gate and fought their way in. Once inside they met up with Stannis’s host which had breached the walls by the harbour. Together they made their way to the Northern Gate and defeated the soldiers posted there. As they opened up the portcullis Edmure’s host rushed in. Together in mass they marched onto the Red Keep. What little resistance they met from any remaining Lannister soldier was dealt with swiftly. As they had promised Stannis, the invading army tried to spare civilians as much as they could. Civilian casualties were kept to a minimum. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about soldiers. Bodies were falling to the ground and the clash of swords could be heard all over the city. Both armies were suffering blows but in the end, it was clear to all that the Rebellion had succeeded

 

Failing to see the battle was lost, Cersei herself urged the City Watch and the King’s guards to face the invading army.

“Your Grace, they are too many. The Battle has been lost” one of them said.

“I will not take the word of a coward. Guards seize him, kill him and march on to fight Stannis and his cronies who want to steal my son’s crown” she insisted.

But nobody moved. One by one the White cloaks and the Gold cloaks lay down their swords.

“Your Grace, we will defend our King till our dying breath. But we will not fight a losing battle. We will do our King a better service by surrendering and making sure he is not harmed than by rushing in like fools onto our deaths.”

“They are right, mother” interjected Tommen. “Uncle Stannis will not harm me. And he will not harm you. Let us surrender in dignity. I don’t want to die the way Joffrey died or the way my father died. I don’t want to be King.”

 

Tommen stepped out onto the main steps and sought Stannis. He surrendered the Throne and received reassurance that nobody else would be harmed.

 

“Uncle,” Tommen said handing Stannis the crown “the Throne is yours.”

“I am not your Uncle” Stannis replied sternly taking the crown from the boy’s hands and placing it on his head.

“Please spare my family and my people” the boy begged.

“They are not your people boy. They are my people now and they will be spared. I have already promised you, your family shall not be harmed either. You will be banished to Casterly Rock together with your mother. Your marriage to Margaery Tyrell will be annulled and she will be sent back to Highgarden with her family. Your sister will remain in Dorne with the Martells. Your father Jamie Lannister will be sent to the Wall.”

“What about my grandfather?”

“As soon as he is able to travel, he will be sent to Casterly Rock as well. I am told his injuries are severe and life-threatening. You have my word that should he not survive his wounds I will send you his bones.”

“Thank you” replied Tommen bowing his head.

“No!” yelled an outraged Cersei. “You cannot do this to us! We will be avenged! This is not the end of this!” she kept on raging only to be shushed by both her son and her twin brother.

 

After the battle was over and it was deemed safe for Lady Catelyn to enter the city, she tried to look for Brienne, but her knight was nowhere to be found. She was afraid her trusted sworn shield had not made it to King’s Landing alive, but upon seeing Jamie Lannister the hopes of finding Brienne increased. However, according to the Kingslayer, Brienne had left King’s Landing weeks ago in search of Sansa. “We really tried to honor our vow to you, my lady” Jamie had told her solemnly. “But when we got here and Joffrey died, Sansa simply disappeared. I gave Brienne new armor and a sword and she left hoping to find your daughter and take her to you. I’m glad you have found your daughter, both of them. But I have no idea where Brienne could be right now”. With nothing else to add, Catelyn thanked him and then prayed she would see Brienne again. She would make sure to leave messages for her at every town they stopped by on their way home to tell her to make her way to Winterfell where she would be welcome.

 

Making sure everything was done according to Law and Customs and not wanting to rush things unnecessarily, Stannis waited for all the bodies from both sides to have been recovered and properly buried before his coronation ceremony. Also, they needed to sort out the business of the divided Kingdom before he was crowned. Everything had been arranged beforehand, it was just a matter of making it official and stamping a royal seal.

 

The day the coronation took place, Stannis was introduced to his people as “King Stannis Baratheon of the Iron Throne. King in the South, ruling over the Crownlands, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach and Dorne. King by right of blood as the brother of King Robert Baratheon” At the same time it was announced that the Riverlands, the Eyrie and the North would be part of a new Kingdom of the North under the rule of their own King. 

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are getting close to the end. Please let me know what you think so far ...  
> Next chapter we'll see how things shape up in the Kingdom if the North.  
> Thanks.


	11. The King in the North

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is the last chapter. Thanks for sticking around.

Everything settled in King’s Landing, the Tully-Stark-Arryn army marched north again to their newly formed Kingdom, Riverrun being their first destination.

 

The first thing Edmure noticed as he entered his castle was how big his wife had grown. Both Roslin and Jeyne were heavy with child. After a much awaited and needed celebration, the rest of the combined forces quickly left Riverrun to return to their homes.

 

Led by Lord Royce, the Vale army returned to the Eyrie. Lady Lysa Arryn had been notified of recent events and had already sworn fealty to the Kingdom of the North,

 

That only left the army marching North back to Winterfell. Lord Brynden Tully decided to join his niece Catelyn and her daughters Arya and Sansa, as well as Lady Jeyne Stark on their journey to Winterfell. He was to remain there as Hand of the King. But there was no King yet. Lady Jeyne would be Queen Regent until her child was born. It was agreed that if the child was a boy, said boy would be King. If the child was a girl, the Crown of the North would pass on to Robb’s eldest sister, Sansa Stark.

 

The return trip to Winterfell proved to be uneventful, much to the relief of the travelling party. They were afraid of finding the Ironborn lurking in the Neck and lying in wait to ambush them. But they only found small groups of scattered warriors from the Iron Islands who were already retreating. With the death of Balon Greyjoy, the Ironborn army was in disarray and they were far too disorganized to cause any real trouble. Fortunately, they were able to make the trip without any setbacks. Everybody wanted to be home safe and sound as soon as possible.

 

Upon arriving to their former house, the three Stark ladies realized they had a daunting task ahead of them. The castle was not what it used to be, some walls had been torn down, the gate was gone and part of the castle had been put to the torch. A lot needed to be done in order to restore it. But it was the missing people they ached for the most: Ned, Robb, Bran, Rickon, Maester Luwin, the Pooles, the Cassels, Mikken, and many others.

 

Restoration got underway under the careful eye of Lord Brynden Tully and the direction of Catelyn Stark. Thus, it was not long before the castle was fully operational again and bustling with people and activity as it once had been.

 

Just a few moons after their arrival it was time for Jeyne to give birth: a healthy boy whom then named Eddard. Eddard Stark, the King in the North.

 

A feast was to be organized to celebrate the birth of the new King. But the feast would have to wait as some of the guests could not make it at the time. News had arrived from Riverrun; Lady Rolsin had given birth to a healthy girl whom they named Minisa after Edmure’s mother. Not until it was deemed that both Lady Roslin and the baby were fit to travel would the feast take place.

 

And what a feast it was! Food, music, singers, mummers, tourneys, a feast the likes of which Winterfell had not seen in ages. Everybody in the Northern territory was in attendance, Houses from the Riverlands, the Eyrie, the Neck, the Barrowlands, and even Bear Island.

 

A surprise guest made her appearance startling Catelyn.

“Brienne!” she cried. “Oh Gods! You made it!” she said as she hugged the lady knight.

“I heard you had found your daughters and returned home. I wanted to see them with my own eyes.”

“Oh, Brienne, thank you. Are you staying?”

“If you will have me, my lady. I would not wish to intrude.”

“You are always welcome at my house, Brienne. Besides, you _are_ my sworn shield, are you not?” she smiled

“Indeed I am, my Lady.”

“Good! It is settled then, you will stay at my House” she said. “Now go, have fun. Enjoy the party. Drink, dance, eat.”

“Thank you my Lady” she said as she turned around.

 

“I had heard of the Maid of Tarth, I had never seen her in person” a voice said behind Catelyn.

“Lord Mallister, so glad you could come! Yes, that was Bienne of Tarth. She’s a friend of mine.”

“Call me Jason, and it’s good to see you too, my Lady. This is indeed a good party.”

“Well, we have lots to celebrate, Lord Malli…” and she corrected herself when he raised his eyebrows at her “Jason” she continued with a smile. “I am home. I have a beautiful grandson, I have my two beloved daughters safe with me. My bother and sister are also safe. I have a beautiful niece. And we have a bright future to look forward to.”

“Indeed. I am pleased to see you happy my Lady.”

“If I call you Jason, it is only fair you call me Catelyn.”

“Then, I am pleased to see you happy, Catelyn” he smiled at her.

“Thank you. I wouldn’t be here if it were not for you and your invaluable help. I owe you a great debt Lord Mall- …  Jason. I am glad you could be part of this celebration.”

“So am I. Let’s celebrate, then. May I have this dance?”

“Oh, I haven’t danced in years” she laughed. “Ned never cared much for dancing. He would do it just to humor me” and at the mention of her beloved husband her eyes grew misty.

“I’m sorry my lady, I should never have asked” Jason Mallister replied apologetically.

“Oh, don’t be. It’s not your fault, Jason” she said emphasizing his first name. “We’re friends. You were a friend to my husband. He would have never wanted for us to feel gloomy at a time like this. I would be honored to dance with you.”

“The honor is mine, Catelyn” he smiled as he took her by the hand and led her to the dance floor.

 

“Edmure, congratulations on your daughter, she’s beautiful” Brynden Tully said to his nephew.

“Thank you Uncle. We named her Minisa, after my mother”

“It’s a good name. Your father would be proud.”

“Is that Cat dancing with Jason Mallister?”

“Yes” Brynden Tully said grinning “I knew it!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I noticed they had become really close during our war campaign. She denied it, but I think he likes her, and from what I see she likes him too”

“Apparently she does. She deserves some happiness after everything she’s been through. Though I’m not sure she’s looking for a husband. She really misses Lord Eddard and from what she’s told me, she’s still grieving; both for her husband and for her sons. Time will tell if there’s anything else between them. She doesn’t really need a husband right now. She needs no army and no protection. But it would be good for her. He’s a good man.”

“Aye, he is. Now we need to find Lysa a new companion” Brynden said with a wink.

“Funny Uncle” he laughed. “So, how are things here? How are you settling in?”

“Can’t complain … I’m hand of the King to a baby” he smiled. “Things are slowly falling into place. We have rebuilt and repaired most of the castle. The farms in the vicinity are in working order. Most of the major families who were with us during the campaign have accepted the new Kingdom of the North, especially since their King is Robb’s son. Some of them had misgivings about accepting Lady Jeyne, as they considered her an outsider and were not fully convinced she was innocent of the events at the Twins. That took some convincing, but it is settled now. She’s Queen Regent but gets a lot of help from Cat. Between you and me, it is mostly Cat and I doing the ruling.”

“I figured. You’re both good at that. She has been Lady of a castle, whether Riverrun or Winterfell, since she was a child and a very good one at that. And you uncle, are very good at everything”

“Cheap flattery, nephew, will get you nowhere” he returned the banter. “Well, we dealt with the Ironborn on our way here. By the time we got to the North there was very little left of the Ironborn army. We quickly took Moat Cailin, as it was practically unmanned and the ones left behind were in no condition to put up a worthy fight. As soon as we established ourselves back in Winterfell we sent forces to Torrhen’s Square and Deepwood Motte where, fortunately, they were met by little resistance. I guess the squids were not meant to live on land as they were very quick to flee. So for now, that seems to be under control.”

“Good riddance” replied Edmure.

“The most difficult issue we had was dealing with the Boltons at the Dreadfort” continued the Blackfish. “They were surrounded and were sent an ultimatum: bend the knee or be destroyed. Ramsay Bolton, Roose’s bastard son, refused but there was a revolt and his own men killed him. One of Roose’s nephews is the one in charge of the Dreadfort now. Needless to say, they have bent the knee. At the Dreadfort we found Theon Greyjoy. He was in a terrible state, having been brutally tortured by Ramsay Bolton. He was executed for the murders of Bran and Rickon, though he kept denying it till the very end with the sword coming down on his neck. I don’t know what to make of his claims.”

“Do you think the children live?”

“I don’t know. Catelyn surely hopes so. I have seen her pray every morning. If they are indeed alive and in Westeros, surely by now they must have heard of our victory. Hopefully they will make their way back home. Time will tell. Back at the Dreadfort, we also rescued a girl, Jeyne Poole, one of Sansa’s old friends who was being kept there. She had been forced to pose as Arya to marry Ramsay Bolton. The poor girl is a mess, but with Sansa’s help she seems to be improving daily.”

“Poor girl. I can only imagine the hell she must have been through.”

“We have also received news from the Wall. Their Lord Commander Mormont has requested assistance and reinforcements to deal with a possible invasion of creatures from beyond the Wall. We are using this feast to recruit volunteers to join them, not necessarily as Brothers of the Night’s Watch, but as soldiers to serve a term at the Wall and come back in a few months. If anybody wants to join the Night’s Watch for good, they are more than welcome to do so. Jon Snow will be coming to take the volunteers and prospective new recruits to the Wall himself”

“I bet Arya and Sansa will be thrilled to see their brother … Not so sure about Cat”

“Well, we’ll do what needs to be done.”

“So everything’s alright, then”

“Apparently so”

“We’re at the dawn of a new era Uncle. And it makes sense the new King in the North should be called Eddard, after whose murder this whole war started.”

“To King Eddard Stark” said Brynden raising his cup.

“To King Eddard Stark”

 

 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

 

Meanwhile in a darkened room in Casterly Rock, an old man was lying on his bed.

 

_My wounds are nearly healed now. Soon I’ll be a full man again. Nobody messes with the lions. The Young Wolf might be dead, but the old lion will rise again even stronger. No Stag, Falcon, Fish or Pup is match for a strong and proud Lion. Our debt will be paid. Hear Me Roar!!!_

THE END

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading.  
> A bit of a cheesy ending? Maybe, but everything is so gloomy and bleak in GOT that I thought a bit of fluff and happiness for the Starks-Tullys could be warranted. Well, if you liked the story , please let me know. If you didn't, tell me how I can improve it or what I should do to make my future stories better. Thanks a lot!


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